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He is a great character.

It seems so easy and still (because of the fact that I am always confused by the words character and personality) could you explain 1) what this phrase means exactly and 2) whether the word character may be substituted with personality in this sentence (if yes, will it change the meaning?).

Re: He is a great character.

That's how we would talk about a wonderful fictional person: Indiana Jones is a great character.

If he weren't fictional, we might say:

- He has great character. (= He has integrity.)
- He is a character. (= He is eccentric.)
- He is a great personality. (= He is a wonderful celebrity.)
- He has a great personality. (= He has a very enjoyable nature.)